Whitaker Wellness has gone through a lot of changes over the past 38 years, and I want to update you on our most recent additions and improvements, which include our current Medicare status, a group care program for patients with diabetes, a powerful therapy for relieving pain and restoring function, and a new medical director.
Whitaker Wellness Now Accepts Medicare!
First, I am happy to announce that we now accept Medicare. Like most clinics of its kind, Whitaker Wellness used to operate on a cash-only basis. Unfortunately, even though we keep out-of-pocket costs as low as possible, they are prohibitive for many people.
Therefore, we are accepting several of the major insurance plans and recently signed on with Medicare. No, insurers don’t cover all the therapies at Whitaker Wellness, but this switch has enabled more patients to consult our wonderful doctors and nurse practitioner, who have extensive training and experience in both conventional and alternative medicine.
If financial concerns have prevented you from becoming a Whitaker Wellness patient in the past, call us at 866-944-8253 to learn about our special programs for Medicare enrollees. Covered services include:
- A “Welcome to Medicare” introductory one-time preventive visit, which includes a review of your medical history, vital signs, body mass index, vision test, and education and counseling about preventive services. (Must be done within 12 months of signing up for Part B.)
- Annual “Wellness” visits, including personalized health advice and updates on your treatment plan.
- Primary care visits with our practitioners, who have expertise in lifestyle changes, nutritional supplements, bioidentical hormones, and noninvasive therapies.
Get Motivated With Our Group Care Programs
Another exciting new program we have recently developed is our Group Care program. As anyone who has attended Whitaker Wellness’s Back to Health Program knows, a powerful synergy develops when people with similar health concerns spend time together.
These new programs, developed specifically for our patients with certain conditions, meet once a month on an ongoing basis for an hour and a half per session. Led by a Whitaker Wellness physician or nurse practitioner, each session focuses on safe treatment options and various aspects of self-management such as diet, exercise, weight loss, and targeted nutritional supplements. These small group discussions provide an opportunity to ask questions and interact with and learn from fellow participants. Our current list of group care programs are:
- Diabetes Group Care
- Heart Disease Group Care
Enrollment in our Group Care Program includes individualized medical evaluation and advice. Participates may attend as many—or as few—monthly sessions as desired. Studies show that group sessions such as this are highly motivating and often serve as a springboard to enduring lifestyle changes.
Whitaker Wellness’s Newest Therapy: Electro-Equiscope®
I also want to tell you about the newest therapy we’ve added to our treatment arsenal: Electro-Equiscope, an advanced type of microcurrent that is generating tremendous enthusiasm among physicians and patients alike.
Microcurrent therapy works on the cellular level to enhance mitochondrial energy production and cellular repair. Our bodies run on very low-voltage electrical currents flowing through our cells. When tissues sustain injury through trauma, disease, or toxicity, normal electrical conductivity is altered. Using extremely low-voltage (micro) pulsating currents of electricity, microcurrent therapy sends corrective signals to normalize currents.
Actually, calling the Equiscope an advanced type of microcurrent is an understatement. This sophisticated device, which has been researched and refined over several decades, is the only microcurrent therapy that is able to detect abnormal electrical patterns in damaged cells, automatically modify the electrical currents specific to that particular tissue type, and send corrective currents to help restore function and facilitate repair. And because the currents are so low, there is no discomfort or other side effects.
Used primarily to treat damaged neural and connective tissue, the Equiscope has been shown to reduce pain and inflammation, increase circulation and range of motion, and shorten healing time. In the hands of an experienced practitioner, it is an effective therapy for acute and chronic pain, sprains and strains, joint and ligament injuries, arthritis, fibromyalgia, neuropathy, sciatica, headaches, and more.
Whitaker Wellness Welcomes Medical Director Svetlana Stivi, MD
Last but certainly not least, we welcome Svetlana Raichel-Stivi, MD, who has recently joined Whitaker Wellness as our Medical Director. Dr. Stivi is a brilliant, compassionate physician who shares my vision and whom I trust to carry on the work I began when I opened Whitaker Wellness nearly 40 years ago. She is well versed in all aspects of nutritional and functional medicine as well as bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.
A graduate of University of California Irvine School of Medicine, Dr. Stivi completed her residency in Family Medicine at Long Beach Memorial Hospital. She brings 20 years of experience to her new position. Most recently, she served as Medical Director of the Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine at UC Irvine and Associate Clinical Professor, Family Medicine at the UC Irvine School of Medicine.
In addition to providing patient care and overseeing Whitaker Wellness’ medical staff of four physicians, a nurse practitioner, and dozens of healthcare professionals, Dr. Stivi is leading the expansion of clinic services and community outreach programs.
We Want to Get to Know You
We hope these new additions, which complement our top-notch staff and other unique therapies that Whitaker Wellness has pioneered over the years, will encourage you to check us out. Remember, there are safe, natural alternatives to almost every prescription drug and noninvasive options for many surgical procedures. What we do at the clinic isn’t integrative, holistic, or alternative—it’s just good medicine.
To find out if Whitaker Wellness is a good fit for you, give us a call at 866-944-8253.
